January Book Review
The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz The Sequel by Jean Hanff Korelitz, What It's Like in Words by Eliza Moss & Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
Hello book lovers! Well we made it through the first month of 2025, barely for some, including myself but hey, we’re here! I must admit, though I started the year in a reading frenzy as we were driving across the country, once we hit San Diego I really struggled putting reading time at the top of my list, which is probably why my phone is now locked away in some unknown location and I’m 48 hours into my Phone Detox (Ben wants me to go a month, but that seems unrealistic) but we’ll see if I can make it through the weekend without it. So far, I’m really enjoying not having my airpods for a change!
In all honesty between my recent social media addition to all things politics and the emotional rollercoaster the news has been for many of us lately, reading and even audiobooks have taken a back seat this month. However I was still able to get through 3 out of the four books I committed to reading this month and do have a fourth book to review, but it is not one one I sat down to read at the beginning of the month. So here we go!
The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz (book 1) ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
I loved this book! I have not stopped thinking about it since I finishing it. I devoured it in two days while we were driving across the country and made Ben stop at a Barnes and Nobles to grab the sequel that just came out this fall before I finished because I could not get enough! Not only is the actual plot really interesting, a down and out writer ‘stealing’ the plot of one of his old students but this book goes into a lot of depth about the publishing industry as a whole. It’s really smart writing and there are a lot of twists and turns and even a book within the book that is so well done I wish I could read it for the first time again. I’ve never read anything by Korelitz but she’s on my list now of authors to keep in my back pocket when aimlessly wandering around a bookstore or a library to find a new book to read. I highly recommend this book, especially if you’re either a fan of the book Yellowface by R.F. Kaung which has a similar plot to start off but is a very different take on stealing someone else’s storyline. Both books will keep you on your toes until the end! A must read for anyone honestly, it’s fast paced and addicting, you’ll want to know how it ends!
The Sequel by Jean Hanff Korelitz (book 2) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sequels in general are never as good but this was the rare case where it was! I can go into very little detail about this book because it would spoil the ending of the first book in this series (see above) BUT I was very impressed! We get another characters perspective of all the events that take place in the first book. This time the villain is our main character and even though you’re suppose to dislike them, I was fully invested in their character arch and I love getting inside a truly evil mind! Korelitz cleverly named every chapter in this book after titles of other book sequels which I thought was a fun touch. Both these books felt VERY meta, in title and even in the writing style, so that was a cool touch. I honestly loved both books so much I’ve thought about ordering the audiobooks just so I can listen to them forever, that’s how much I loved being in this story! I cannot recommend them enough!
What It's Like in Words by Eliza Moss ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2
I found this book at my favorite bookstore in San Diego and was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it, since I haven’t heard anything about it in the US market (Moss is a British writer, so it’s not shocking I enjoyed it because I do love writers from the United Kingdom). A dark and honest portrait of a young woman stuck in an unhealthy relationship in her twenties, this novel is not for the easily trigger or the faint of heart. It might be one of the more relatable books I’ve read in a long time when it comes to intoxicating but unhealthy relationships that are impossible to let go of no matter how damaging they are. I loved Moss’s writing style, it kept me, the reader intimately close to the narrator Enola in a way that made me both very uncomfortable in moments and also deeply invested in her story. Moss makes an interesting choice to never tell us the boyfriends name throughout, referring to him only by he/him and I thought it was a clever way to keep him at arms length from the reader, just as he throughout keeps Enola at a distance during their two year relationship. This book is worth the read if you’re into diving into toxic relationships and getting lost in your feelings.
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2
I really struggled to get into this book but as I always am with Sally Rooney’s books, I am glad I stuck with it. Rooney is known for her long, meandering novels that lack much plot and follow very sad people through their everyday life. This book is no different, it just happens to be 150 pages longer than her other books. Rooney writes without putting her dialogue in quotations, so the paragraphs feel VERY dense if you’re not used to reading that style and the paragraphs are long so it can feel daunting at first. But Rooney is an incredible writer, so if you can get use to the prose in the first 100 pages this is a beautiful portrait of grief and love. Following two brothers Peter and Ivan who are ten years apart, both living and dating in Dublin during the months following their fathers death. Both are juggling their grief and in turn are dating inappropriate women. They’re judgemental and often cruel to each other and others, so much so that I must admit I never really ended up liking either brother, but by the end I did understand them deeply. Rooney’s ability to write their two perspectives in totally different styles that mimics their train of thought is masterful writing. I also loved the sentiment Rooney was going for throughout and there were so many moments in the second half of the story that I felt waves of ache for the characters as I was reading. The writing was often quite poetic and for that I am glad I read it. Would I recommend it to everyone, no, but if you love to study writing and are looking to become a better writer yourself, Rooney is someone to study and get lost in her prose.
February Picks
The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus by Emma Knight
This book is getting a lot of hype and was the January ‘Read with Jenna’ pick, so I was curious. I’ve noticed in the last year that I tend to enjoy ‘Read with Jenna’ books more than Reece Witherspoon’s monthly bookclub so I’m slowly fading out Reece’s books from my to read list. To be honest the writing feels more highbrow and I can’t seem to get through any of the Reece books of late (I stopped two this month on audiobook because the writing just wasn’t up to par and the story was too predictable). This book takes place in Edinburgh Scotland, so already a win for me as Edinburgh might be my favorite European city and one I am itching to get back to. This is a debut novel by a Canadian writer and I look forward to seeing what all the hype is about.
Madwoman by Chelsea Bieker
One of the writers I follow on both Instagram and here on Substack recommended this book on both her podcast Bad on Paper and on her Instagram. We seem to have similar book taste so I went looking for this last week. The woman who checked me out squealed in delight when she saw this was one of the books I’d grabbed. Needless to say I’ve very excited to get into it!
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
I’ve had this book for years and have read almost half of it maybe in 2018 but never finished. Back then I was very much not reading the way I do now and the depth of the book was hard for me to really appreciate so it ended up back on my bookshelf. I’ve been really excited to get a second chance with it from page one since I’ve heard nothing but incredible things about it over the last five or so years. From what I remember the writing was top notch so I’m ready to really sink into it this month.
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma
This was book 4th book in January that I didn’t finish. I’m listening to this on audiobook and it is a fascinating listen so far. I’m only a quarter of the way through but I am determined to finish it this month and give you a full review. In regards to a science based book, so far it’s very compelling and not a slog to get through, I just have to cut down on the podcasts and ramp up the audiobooks this month so I can give you a full review!
That’s all I have for you until the end of the month! I hope where ever you are and whatever you have going this month you take some time to read or at least spend a little less time online, we all need a little less screen time in 2025 I think. Let me know in the comments if you’ve read any of these or you have any suggestions for me to red moving forward, I love a book recommendation!!
Wishing you a relaxing and cozy February. I’ll circle back with new reviews March 1st! Until then, happy reading!
“Books are a uniquely portable magic.”
― Stephen King
Body Keeps the Score was such a fascinating read for me!